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Chapter Sixty-three
Alia sat next to Sloan in her vehicle at the appointed hour that evening, waiting for Yasir and Leah to be picked up. They’d both spent a restful afternoon for a change. She with Janna and the children, while Roy and Sloan had checked out things atBooker’s.
The more time she spent with the Muslim woman, the more Alia liked and trusted her. Janna’s soft brown eyes held only respect and caring. She had a lovely spirit, and like most other mothers throughout the wold, all she wanted was the best for her family.
Don had taken up residence in the front room again, and all was quiet.
Alia knew Sloan had a lot on his mind. She decided to ask rather than sit and stew. “Was everything running smoothly at the shop?”
He reached for her hand and squeezed gently. “Surprisingly, yes. I had a talk with our new guy and he’s really keen. Loves working there, even has a few friends he went to school with who’re interested in helping out on the more detailed, pricey contracts. I’ve refused a lot of those intricate renos because we were already pushed to the limits. Maybe now we can think about taking on those fun jobs.”
“Would it be possible for you to quit working there and go back to doing what you love?”
“Truthfully, I kinda wondered about that. If Roy seriously cuts his hours, it would mean that Les and Roy wouldn’t be running the place alone. I’m thinking I could cut back, do a bit of the detailing work I really enjoy as a hobby rather than a full-time job. Les seems happy with his life. He’s talked Libby into sticking around for some time. Roy can hang out at the house with us to look after the kid and—”
Alia stiffened. “You’re forgetting something, Booker. When this job is over, Kean and I’ll be going home.”
He swung her way, his voice hardening. “Over my dead body,Hawkins… Shit! They’re on the move.” He pointed at her and she noticed that his hand wasn’t steady. “Lady, we’ll talk about this later.”
Grinning happily, Alia chirped. “Okay. Later.” Relief flooded and she couldn’t stop smiling. He was making all kinds of plans and she was a part of them. She loved it.
The car in front took a corner to the left and sped toward the on ramp to the Kamehameha highway. This road travelled for miles around the island and Sloan settled in behind a gray Corolla, one car removed from the vehicle they were following. Suddenly, the perp’s car passed two more and the double yellow line in the center stopped Sloan from keeping up.
Alia sat forward. “They’re driving erratically. Do you figure they made us?”
“How could they? Just keep your eye on them in case they decide to turn off.” He finally got the opportunity to cut ahead of the van in front but had to pull in before they were in the place where he would have liked to be.
“Sloan, there, he’s turning off – by that roadside restaurant. They’re stopping. Can you pull over by those bushes ahead? I’ll go and see if they’re actually getting out of the car and going inside.”
Sloan drove off the road and stopped. Alia slid out, darted to the edge and crouched down behind the covering leaves. She watched as all four exited the car and entered the ramshackle building.
There were a number of vehicles gathered in the parking area and that surprised her. At one time, it might have been a good place to eat, but now, it looked run down and uncared for, a place where either those less fortunate, or less caring, might hang out.
Running closer, peering through a dirty window, she watched them weave their way toward the back of the restaurant and walk past a lopsided curtain at the back.
Something pressing into her side warned her she wasn’t alone. “Well, miss. You are being a nosey-rosy, and for this, I think we must have a little talk. This way, if you please.” The Muslim sounded polite but the gun he held belied his tone.
“Idon’tplease.”
“For that I am sorry. But you must do as I say.”
Alia tried out her best don’t-be-mean-to-me smile on the guy. “I was just looking for a menu.”
“I doubt that very much. People who want a menu step into the restaurant. They don’t sneak from behind bushes and peer into windows. I believe you must come with me.”He pointed toward the back of the place and she knew the minute Leah and Yasir saw her, they’d know the gig was up.
She worked to create tears, gulping and blinking as hard as she could until rivulets gushed from her eyes to flow down her cheeks. “No, please don’t hurt me. I’m sorry for being nosey. It’s a problem I have. I promise not to come back here if you let me go.” Her hands taking a prayer-like position helped with her act. And when she pushed forward for the final scene, she caught him completely off-guard.
Before the man knew it, she’d grabbed his gun and her uppercut left him writhing on the ground. A quick blow to the side of his head with the gun barrel cleared away the problem. Now to just hide him before anyone came. She heard a soft chuckle.
“Do you need any help, ma’am?” Sloan stood a few feet away, a smart-ass grin lighting up his face.
She swiped at her wet cheeks and sniffed. “You could have shown up a bit earlier before I had to pull out act two.”
“And miss the best performance I’ve ever seen? No way. Here, let me pull him to the ravine there. We’ll hide him behind the rocks and he’ll be out of sight. So what happened?”
“They met up with another man and went through into the back of the café. This one caught me watching through the window and took offense. Some people are so picky about their privacy.”
“Go figure.” He chuckled and, crouching low, he led the way around to the back of the yard. Watching carefully for any other guards, they breathed easily when no one came forward. A window was open, the curtains only pulled halfway and Alia could hear every word spoken.
